Holding the piece now? Send us a photo of the stamp
Photograph the stamp close up, then the whole piece, and send both on WhatsApp. We will reply with what the mark means and a rough estimate of what we would pay. No obligation, and nothing needs posting.
WhatsApp a photo of the stamp
No WhatsApp? Call 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Every mark and what it means
This table shows what each mark means and its carat or standard. GoldPaid does not publish buying prices: what a piece comes to depends on its purity and payable weight, measured on inspection, and the live precious-metal market. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market. Selling a piece? See how we assess your gold or how to sell gold jewellery by post.
Gold fineness marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| 375 | 375 is 9 carat gold. 375 means the gold alloy is 375 parts pure gold in every 1,000, which is 9 carat. It is the lowest gold standard a UK assay office can hallmark. In a UK hallmark the number sits in a rectangle with its corners cut off.9ct · 37.5% pure gold (375 parts in 1,000) · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 585 | 585 is 14 carat gold. 585 means 585 parts pure gold in every 1,000, which is 14 carat. The UK replaced its 15ct and 12ct standards with 14ct in 1932. In a UK hallmark the number sits in a rectangle with its corners cut off.14ct · 58.5% pure gold · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 750 | 750 is 18 carat gold. 750 means 750 parts pure gold in every 1,000, which is 18 carat. In a UK hallmark the number sits in a rectangle with its corners cut off.18ct · 75% pure gold · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 916 | 916 is 22 carat gold. 916 means the alloy is 916.6 parts pure gold in every 1,000, which is 22 carat. In a UK hallmark the number sits in a rectangle with its corners cut off.22ct · 91.66% pure gold (the legal standard is 916.6) · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 990 | 990 is a UK gold standard of 99% pure gold. 990 is a UK hallmarking standard for gold, 990 parts in every 1,000. It has no everyday carat name and works out at just under 24 carat. In a UK hallmark the number sits in a rectangle with its corners cut off.No everyday carat name · 99% pure gold · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 999 | 999 is the finest standard: gold, silver, platinum or palladium. The UK uses 999 for all four precious metals, so the shape around the number tells you which one: a rectangle with cut corners for gold (24 carat), an oval for silver, a house shape for platinum and three joined circles for palladium.24ct (on gold) · 99.9% pure metal · Part of a UK hallmark |
Silver fineness marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| 925 | 925 is sterling silver. 925 means 925 parts pure silver in every 1,000: sterling. In a UK hallmark the number sits in an oval. The optional traditional symbol is a lion passant, or a lion rampant if the Edinburgh office marked it.Sterling silver · 92.5% pure silver · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 958 | 958 is Britannia silver. 958 is the Britannia standard, a higher standard than sterling, introduced in 1697. In a UK hallmark the number sits in an oval. The optional traditional symbol is a figure of Britannia or a lion.Britannia silver · 95.84% pure silver (the legal standard is 958.4) · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 800 | 800 is 800 silver. 800 is the lowest silver standard a UK assay office can hallmark, 800 parts in every 1,000. In a UK hallmark the number sits in an oval. The Act gives 800 no traditional symbol.800 silver · 80% pure silver · Part of a UK hallmark |
Platinum and palladium fineness marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| 950 | 950 is platinum or palladium. The UK uses 950 for both platinum and palladium. A house-shaped surround, pointed at the top, means platinum; three joined circles with one digit in each (or a trapezium on 2009 marks) mean palladium. Platinum hallmarking became compulsory in 1975. Palladium could be hallmarked from 2009 and had to be from 2010.Platinum or palladium · 95% pure metal · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 850 or 900 | 850 and 900 are platinum standards. 850 and 900 are UK platinum standards. The number sits in a house shape, pointed at the top. 850 is the lowest platinum standard a UK assay office can hallmark, and the Act gives neither standard a traditional symbol.Platinum · 85% or 90% pure platinum · Part of a UK hallmark |
| 500 | 500 is a palladium standard. 500 is the lowest palladium standard a UK assay office can hallmark. Marks struck since 2010 put each digit in its own joined circle; marks struck in 2009 use a trapezium.Palladium · 50% pure palladium · Part of a UK hallmark |
Numbers that are not UK hallmark standards
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| 575 | 575 is not a recognised UK gold standard. 575 is not a UK hallmarking standard. Worn stamps are easy to misread, and 575 can be a worn 585 (14ct). Only a test settles what the metal is.Unknown until tested · Not a standard · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 373 | 373 is not a recognised UK gold standard. 373 is not a UK hallmarking standard. It can be a worn or badly struck 375 (9ct). Only a test settles what the metal is.Unknown until tested · Not a standard · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 333 | 333 is 8 carat gold, below the UK minimum. 333 parts in 1,000 works out at 8 carat. It is below 375, the lowest gold standard a UK assay office can hallmark, so it is never part of a UK hallmark.8ct · 33.3% pure gold · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 417 | 417 is 10 carat gold, not a UK standard. 417 parts in 1,000 works out at 10 carat. It is not a UK hallmarking standard, so a UK assay office does not hallmark gold at 417.10ct · 41.7% pure gold · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 583 | 583 is just under 14 carat gold, not a UK standard. 583 parts in 1,000 is a shade below 585, the UK 14ct standard. It is not a UK hallmarking standard.Just under 14ct · 58.3% pure gold · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 875 | 875 is not a UK standard: 21 carat if it is gold. 875 parts in 1,000 is 21 carat if the metal is gold. It is not a UK hallmarking standard, and a number on its own does not say which metal it is, so a test settles it.21ct (if gold) · 87.5% precious metal · Not part of a UK hallmark |
| 999.9 | 999.9 means 99.99% pure. 999.9 means 999.9 parts in 1,000, or 99.99%. The finest UK hallmarking standard is 999, so 999.9 is not part of a UK hallmark.24ct (on gold) · 99.99% pure metal · Not part of a UK hallmark |
Older UK gold standards
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| 15ct (625) | 15ct is an old UK gold standard (625). 15 carat, 625 parts in 1,000, was a legal UK gold standard from 1854 until 1932, when 14ct replaced it. A UK hallmark for 15ct gold therefore dates from those years.15ct · 62.5% pure gold · A UK standard from 1854 to 1932 |
| 12ct (500) | 12ct is an old UK gold standard (500). 12 carat, 500 parts in 1,000, was a legal UK gold standard from 1854 until 1932, when 14ct replaced it. A UK hallmark for 12ct gold therefore dates from those years.12ct · 50% pure gold · A UK standard from 1854 to 1932 |
Plated, filled and mixed-metal marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| RG, RGP, rolled gold | RG and RGP mean rolled gold: not solid gold. Rolled gold is a layer of gold alloy bonded to a base metal by a mechanical process. A fraction such as 1/20 gives the gold layer’s share of the weight of metal in the item. It is not a hallmark, and rolled gold on base metal cannot be hallmarked in the UK.Plated, not solid · A layer of gold alloy bonded to another metal · No, it is not a hallmark |
| GP, GEP, HGEP, GF | GP, GEP, HGEP and GF mean plated or filled: not solid gold. GP and GEP stand for gold plate and gold electroplate, HGEP for heavy gold electroplate and GF for gold filled. All describe a gold layer over a different metal. None is a hallmark, and gold-plated base metal cannot be hallmarked in the UK.Plated, not solid · A gold layer over another metal · No, it is not a hallmark |
| EPNS, EPBM, silver plate | EPNS and EPBM mean silver plated: not solid silver. EPNS stands for electroplated nickel silver. EPNS, EPBM and “silver plate” all mark a silver-plated item rather than solid silver.Silver plated · A thin silver surface over another metal · No, it is not a hallmark |
| Vermeil, silver gilt | Vermeil and silver gilt mean gold-plated silver. Gold-plated silver is silver. When its description mentions gold, it must call the item silver and say “gold plated”, for example “18ct gold plated silver ring”. “Vermeil” may be added to those words, and “silver gilt” may be used when no gold fineness is named.Silver, gold plated · Silver under a gold layer · Sold as silver |
| +METAL, +SPRING, FILLED | +METAL, +SPRING and FILLED mark items that are not all precious metal. +METAL is struck next to the hallmark, on the precious metal part, of an item that also contains base metal. +SPRING marks an item with a fully concealed base metal part, such as a spring. FILLED marks a hollow item filled with a non-metallic substance.Mixed · Part precious metal · Struck beside a UK hallmark |
Assay office marks and traditional symbols
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Leopard’s head | A leopard’s head is the London assay office mark. The leopard’s head is the town mark of the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office in London. Marking with it dates from a statute of 1300. The fineness mark beside it shows the metal.Assay office mark · Shows where, not what · Part of a UK hallmark |
| Anchor | An anchor is the Birmingham assay office mark. The anchor is the town mark of the Birmingham Assay Office, which opened in 1773. The fineness mark beside it shows the metal.Assay office mark · Shows where, not what · Part of a UK hallmark |
| Rose | A rose is the Sheffield assay office mark. The rose is the town mark of the Sheffield Assay Office. Sheffield used it on gold from 1904 and on silver too from 1975; before 1975 its town mark on silver was a crown.Assay office mark · Shows where, not what · Part of a UK hallmark |
| Castle | A castle is the Edinburgh assay office mark. The castle is the town mark of the Edinburgh Assay Office, which dates its hallmarking to 1457. On silver, Edinburgh’s optional traditional symbol is a lion rampant.Assay office mark · Shows where, not what · Part of a UK hallmark |
| Crown | A crown is the traditional gold symbol, except on older Sheffield silver. A crown beside a gold fineness mark is the optional traditional symbol for gold, used at every UK gold standard. On silver marked in Sheffield before 1975, a crown is Sheffield’s town mark, not a gold mark.Traditional symbol · Gold, at any UK standard · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
| Lion passant or rampant | A lion is the traditional symbol for silver. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973 a lion passant (walking, one paw raised) is the optional traditional symbol for sterling silver, and can also be used on 958 and 999 silver. Items marked in Edinburgh carry a lion rampant instead, used there since 1975. London first used a lion in its hallmark in 1544. Check the number beside it.Traditional symbol · Silver: 925, or 958 and 999 · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
| Britannia figure | A figure of Britannia means Britannia or fine silver. The figure of Britannia is the optional traditional symbol for Britannia silver (958), and can also be used on 999 silver.Traditional symbol · Britannia silver (958), or 999 · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
| Orb | An orb usually means platinum. An orb with a cross is the optional traditional symbol for 950 and 999 platinum, which the UK has hallmarked since 1975. The Platinum Jubilee commemorative mark (November 2021 to December 2022) is also an orb and could be struck on any metal, so check the fineness mark.Traditional symbol · Platinum (950 or 999) · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
| Head of Pallas Athene | The head of Pallas Athene means palladium. The head of Pallas Athene is the optional traditional symbol for palladium at 500, 950 and 999.Traditional symbol · Palladium · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
| Scales (Convention mark) | A pair of scales is the Convention mark. The Common Control Mark shows a pair of scales. A Convention hallmark from a member country of the International Convention on Hallmarks is legally recognised in the UK. It has four marks: a sponsor’s mark, the Common Control Mark, a fineness mark and an assay office mark.International mark · Shown by the fineness number · Recognised in the UK |
Date letters
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Date letter | A letter in a shield is the date letter. The date letter shows the year the item was hallmarked. Note the letter, whether it is a capital, its typeface and the shape of its shield: all four change, so together they point to one year. Since 1975 all four UK offices use the same letter, which changes on 1 January; before that, use the chart for the office whose mark is on the piece.Year of hallmarking · Optional since 1999 · An optional part of a UK hallmark |
How to read a UK hallmark
A UK hallmark has three compulsory marks.
- Sponsor’s mark. At least two letters inside a surround. It shows who sent the item for hallmarking, which is not always the maker. Sources: [2], [5]
- Fineness mark. The precious metal content in parts per thousand. The shape around the number shows the metal. Sources: [1], [2], [4]
- Assay office mark. Shows which UK assay office tested and marked the item: London, Birmingham, Sheffield or Edinburgh. Sources: [1], [3]
Optional extras: a traditional symbol for the metal, a date letter, a commemorative mark and a Convention mark (a pair of scales). The date letter and the traditional symbols have been optional since January 1999. Sources: [1], [2], [7]
The shape around the number shows the metal
| Metal | Shape around the number | UK fineness marks | Optional traditional symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | A rectangle with its corners cut off | 375 (9ct, 37.5%), 585 (14ct, 58.5%), 750 (18ct, 75%), 916 (22ct, 91.66%), 990 (99%), 999 (24ct, 99.9%) | A crown, at every standard |
| Silver | An oval | 800 (80%), 925 (sterling, 92.5%), 958 (Britannia, 95.84%), 999 (fine silver, 99.9%) | A lion passant on 925 (a lion rampant if marked in Edinburgh); Britannia or a lion on 958 and 999 |
| Platinum | A house shape, pointed at the top | 850 (85%), 900 (90%), 950 (95%), 999 (99.9%) | An orb with a cross, on 950 and 999 |
| Palladium | Three joined circles, one digit in each (a trapezium on marks struck in 2009) | 500 (50%), 950 (95%), 999 (99.9%) | The head of Pallas Athene |
Carat measures gold purity in 24ths, so 9ct is 9 parts in 24, which is 375 parts in 1,000, and 24ct is pure gold. The legal standards behind the 916 and 958 marks are 916.6 and 958.4. Sources: [2], [3], [4]
Hallmarking is not compulsory below 1 g for gold, 7.78 g for silver, 0.5 g for platinum and 1 g for palladium. Sources: [1], [2]
Assay office marks
- London: a leopard’s head. Marking with the leopard’s head dates from a statute of 1300. Goldsmiths’ Hall has housed a permanent assay office since 1478. Sources: [3], [5]
- Birmingham: an anchor. Opened in 1773 under the Act of Parliament that also created the Sheffield office. Sources: [3], [5], [6]
- Sheffield: a rose. Opened in 1773. Until 1975 its town mark on silver was a crown, so a crown on older Sheffield silver is the town mark, not a gold mark. The rose was used on gold from 1904 and on silver too from 1975. Sources: [3], [7], [5]
- Edinburgh: a castle. The Edinburgh Assay Office dates its hallmarking to 1457. Sources: [3], [8]
Older pieces can carry the mark of a British assay office that has since closed, such as Chester, which closed in 1962. Check those against a specialist chart. Sources: [7]
The assay offices’ own marks are described here in words rather than reproduced. For each office’s marks period by period, see UK assay office marks, the Birmingham anchor, the London leopard’s head, the Sheffield rose and the Edinburgh castle.
How to read a date letter
- Find the single letter inside a shield, usually in the same row as the other marks.
- Note the letter, whether it is a capital, its typeface and the shape of the shield. All four change, so together they point to one year.
- Before 1975 each assay office ran its own sequence, so use the chart for the office whose mark is on the piece.
- Since 1975 all four UK offices have used the same letter, which changes on 1 January.
- The date letter has been optional since 1999, so a modern piece may not have one.
UK date letters, 2021 to 2026
| Year | Letter |
|---|---|
| 2021 | w |
| 2022 | x |
| 2023 | y |
| 2024 | z |
| 2025 | A |
| 2026 | B |
Optional commemorative marks have included the Silver Jubilee (1934 to 1935), the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953 to 1954), the Silver Jubilee (1977), the Millennium (1999 to 2000), the Golden Jubilee (2002), the Diamond Jubilee (2012), the Platinum Jubilee (November 2021 to December 2022) and the Coronation of King Charles III (March 2023 to December 2024). The Platinum Jubilee mark is an orb and could be struck on any metal, so an orb on its own does not prove platinum. Sources: [5], [6]
For older letters office by office, see the UK date letter chart.
Solid, plated, or not a hallmark at all?
- “Rolled gold” and “gold plated” describe a layer of gold over another metal, not solid gold. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, an item that needs a hallmark and has none may be described as gold only with the word “plated” or “rolled”, lettered at least as large as the rest of the description. Sources: [3]
- GF (gold filled), RGP (rolled gold plate), GP (gold plate), GEP (gold electroplate) and HGEP (heavy gold electroplate) describe a gold layer over another metal, and RG stands for rolled gold. None is a hallmark, and gold-plated or rolled gold base metal cannot be hallmarked in the UK. Sources: [9], [2]
- EPNS (electroplated nickel silver), EPBM and “silver plate” mark silver-plated items, not solid silver. Sources: [6]
- A number stamped on its own, such as 925 or 14K, is not a full UK hallmark. A Convention hallmark from a member country, which includes a pair of scales, is legally recognised in the UK. Sources: [1], [6], [4]
- No hallmark does not always mean no precious metal. Items under the weights above, current or former coins, dental work, and items made before 1950 that meet the minimum standard can all be unmarked. Sources: [2], [3]
Unsure? Photograph the marks in good light and ask an assay office, a registered valuer or a jeweller. More on telling them apart: gold plated, gold filled and solid gold, what 417, 333, 583, 585 and 875 mean on gold and 15ct and 12ct antique gold.
Print the chart
- UK hallmark identification chart (A4 PDF, 1 page): fineness marks and shapes for gold, silver, platinum and palladium, the four assay office marks, date letters and the plated marks.
- Executor’s jewellery checklist (A4 PDF, 2 pages): what to do with jewellery, watches and precious metal in an estate, checked against GOV.UK guidance. General information, not legal advice.
Free to print and share with credit to GoldPaid (goldpaid.co.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Common questions
Does a hallmark prove my jewellery is solid gold?
A full UK hallmark means a UK assay office tested the item and found it met the standard shown. It has three compulsory parts: a sponsor’s mark, a fineness mark and an assay office mark. A number stamped on its own, such as 375 or 14K, is a maker’s stamp rather than a hallmark, so it is a good sign but not proof.
What if my piece has no hallmark at all?
It can still be gold or silver. Hallmarking is not compulsory below 1 g for gold, 7.78 g for silver, 0.5 g for platinum and 1 g for palladium, and coins, dental work and items made before 1950 that meet the minimum standard can be unmarked. A test settles what the metal is.
What is my hallmarked piece worth?
GoldPaid does not publish buying prices. What a piece comes to depends on its purity and payable weight, measured on inspection, and the live precious-metal market. Send a clear photo of the stamp and the whole piece on WhatsApp to 07944 014111 for a rough estimate where we can give one. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Can you tell me what my stamp means from a photo?
Send a clear close-up of the stamp and a photo of the whole piece on WhatsApp to 07944 014111 and we will tell you what the marks say and roughly what we would pay. There is no obligation. If you later post the item, the metal is confirmed by an XRF test when it arrives.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Related guides
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these sources on 11 September 2026. Next review: March 2027.
- GOV.UK, Hallmarking: practical guidance, summary (updated 30 December 2022): www.gov.uk/government/publications/hallmarking-guidance-notes/hallmarking-is-the-law-guidance-summary
- GOV.UK, from the Assay Offices of Great Britain, Hallmarking guidance notes (November 2022): assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63a333b9d3bf7f37654767e0/hallmarking-guidance-notes.pdf
- legislation.gov.uk, Hallmarking Act 1973, Schedules 1 and 2: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/43
- British Hallmarking Council, Dealer’s notice B, “Look for the Hallmark, It’s Your Guarantee”: www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/media/2943/dealers_notice_b-221021.pdf
- The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, London, What is a hallmark; History of hallmarking; Platinum Jubilee and Coronation commemorative marks: www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/what-is-a-hallmark
- Birmingham Assay Office, Gold, silver, platinum and palladium hallmarking; date letters: www.theassayoffice.co.uk/our-services/hallmarking/
- Sheffield Assay Office, History; date letter A for 2025; the Chester mark: www.assayoffice.co.uk/about-us/history
- Edinburgh Assay Office, Home page: www.edinburghassayoffice.co.uk/
- US Federal Trade Commission, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, 16 CFR 23.3 (gold plating terms): www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-23/section-23.3
Made by GOLDPAID LTD, which buys gold and silver by post, so we have a commercial interest in precious metal.